Where is the administrator? (Madibeng municipality)

An administrator and team of experts were supposed to take over the Madibeng Municipality this week, but no administrator is visible and the municipality, as well as the provincial government are keeping num on the situation.
In the meantime it has been announced that the national minister of cooperative government and traditional affairs will visit the municipality on Friday (20 July 2012). This follows a Pretoria High Court Judgement on Friday that dismissed the municipality’s objection to the provincial government’s decision to invoke Section 139 (1) (b) of the constitution in the municipality.

Thirty-eight Madibeng councillors brought an intervention against the municipality’s application and the court case lasted until 23:00 on Friday. The municipality’s application against provincial intervention was dismissed and struck off the roll with costs as the court found that they failed to show its urgency.

The court case was attended by approximately 20 councillors in favour of the intervention in Madibeng municipality and when the High Court gave its judgement at around 23:00 there was jubilant clapping and singing from the councillors.

In welcoming the ruling on behalf of the provincial government, MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, China Dodovu said that his department is heartened that the majority of councillors from across all political parties represented in the municipality supported the provincial government on the matter and are putting the interests of communities before their own.

Dodovu said that the administrator will be appointed for a minimum period of 6 months, and will be assisted in the execution of his day duties and responsibilities by a team of technical, legal, financial, engineering, Integrated Technology, Systems, and town planning experts.

“As a result of the challenges experienced and exacerbated by the municipality, service delivery suffered and manifests itself in poor water and sanitation services provision, resulting in water supply disruptions, poor road infrastructure, uneven provision of services to communities and projects delay due to prolonged processes and possible fraud and corruption among others”, he said.

Kormorant 19 July to 25 July 2012

Well ……. let’s hope for the best….. People are still suffering. People are still without the basic needs. Why should the poor suffer because of the ignorance of the rich? Why should anyone for that matter have to fit the bill for someone else’s ignorance? Unfortunately it is just a reality. Whether we like it or not. There will always be people who suffer because of other’s ignorance. I always encourage people to rahter act themselves than to wait for someone to wake up somewhere and do what is required. Instead of waiting for the municipality to get it’s act right, start saving your own water; recycle your grey water for irrigation purposes and harvest your own rainwater. Why wait for a another disaster to strike first?